Loftin addresses football coaching search

COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin released this message Sunday afternoon concerning the football coaching search, following Mike Sherman’s firing on Thursday:

“Texas A&M is committed to identifying the best football coach to lead the university into the Southeastern Conference next season. Athletic Director Bill Byrne is leading this process, in which we are considering multiple candidates for this important position.

“We are working to conclude this process as expeditiously as possible; however, finding the right candidate for Texas A&M is paramount over any prescribed timeline. Additionally, we do not intend for this process to be played out in the media or social networks in order to protect the candidates and the university.”